Over the Edge (SYOC)
by Angel Tenim
Summary: As the world we know changes before our eyes, the only thing we have left is to change along with it...No matter how much grief and regret comes our way. No matter how much we're pushed over the edge... [As much as I appreciate the comfort reviews after this little "incident", I'll have to ask to stick with PM's when regarding such things...reasons...Anyhow, we are back!]


In a world where the undead roam and mankind lives in fear of extinction, barely anyone would have the time to seek out happiness or anything of the sort. Just as time stops for no one, neither can the inhabitants of this New World, they can only look forward, never back as any delaying moment may prove fatal. There was no time for regret or mourning, things of the like were given up on. Perhaps, in the beginning of all this, many would think otherwise, saying that to give up such sentiments would risk one's humanity. But, the ignorance of loss became a part of the new way of life, humanity redefined to justify the exaggerated Darwinist way of the world. If you were too weak to embrace the New World, than you wouldn't last long. The ideology of returning to the old way of life was seen as crazy talk, saying that if a person were to think in a such way, they were simply deluding themselves with fantasies. Soon enough after the beginning of the end, humans had done what humans were known best at, adapting.

Killing become a common occurrence, a skill that was mandatory in order to survive where only strength alone allowed you to see tomorrow. Without any form of proper Order, actions that were once seen as crimes were more frequent; in a sense, Chaos was the new order of the world and its unspoken laws were established by the silent agreement of those who chose to live in selfishness. Sympathy and charity had no place in the world where only the fittest could survive. A dark, horrific world where the only thing that mattered was whether you get to see the next day.

Yet, even in such a dismal world, laughter could be heard. Pure, innocent laughter. The giggling of child running about in circles pleading her guardian to play with her. In this single room, which differed greatly from the ruins that surrounded it, it was as if the Old World still existed, an untainted fragment hidden within a mess of what once was.

The room was triangular in shape, vast enough to shelter at most 3 people. Toys, although aged along with the 10 year span of the apocalypse, lie in an organized mess, as the child would put it, along the floor. Other than the child-made piles, the room itself was well maintained, as if it were untouched by the world outside. There was a single entrance and no windows, enforcing a sense of being sealed away from all the chaos. The only source of lighting came from a few set candles spread through the room. There was a small set of furniture, consisting of an armchair, a small desk, and a bed. In one of the corners was rolled up a sleeping bag, which, at first glance, already looked living souls were present in this room, one, the child, the other, a man.

The child was a spirited youngster, energy endlessly fueling her tiny body. Her long, well kept brunette hair bounced up and down as she skipped around in her handmade dress, a suited teddy bear to compliment her was clutched in her arms as she made circles around her guardian. Her jade green eyes were bright with life and filled with excitement, comboed with her wide smile.

Her guardian foiled her in almost every aspect. Seated in the armchair, clothed in worn, ragged clothes that seemed to match his fatigue that said he had experienced the world, the man put on a tired grin as he felt a form of envy for the girl. For only being in his late 20's, the man looked older than he actually was. Perhaps it was burns and scars that covered selective areas of his face; maybe, even with his attempt to look happy, he appeared to have forgotten how to smile. The spark of life was no longer present in his eyes, his expression of emotions merely consisting of vacancy. His black hair was roughly cut and bit messy, but signs of maintenance was obvious, albeit poor. Beside him , leaning against the side of the armchair, was a makeshift cane.

"Papa, let's play a game," insisted the 4 year old girl.

"I would love to, Cupcake, I really would," the man replied in fatigue. "But Papa is tired today."

The girl's skipping slowly came to a halt as she faced her guardian with a pout. "Papa is always tired…" The little girl pivoted away from the man, having her back facing him. "Papa hates me, he doesn't like playing with me anymore…"

If the man was younger and had the aspiration, this would be the moment he would begin scolding the child. However, neither of those things were applicable, and the man could only manage a weak smile after letting out a sigh.

"Now, Soleil," began the man, "you mean the world to me. Your happiness is my own. I want to play with you, but I have my limits." Saying this, the man glanced down at his right leg, wiggling it weakly. At the sight of it, the man grimaced, curling his bottom lip.

As if sensing the man's disappointment, the little girl, Soleil, peaked at her father figure and saw the discontent in his blank eyes. Soleil, now worried, hastily makes her way to his side, hopping onto the man's lap, startling him.

"Oof."

"I guess it'll be fine if we don't play together all the time…" Soleil said, looking down at the teddy bear that was given to her only recently. "I'm sorry, Papa."

The man, seeing that the girl in her apologetic state, managed a small chuckle, which was the best anyone could ever get out of him nowadays; anyone being Soleil, that is. The older man patted the girl's head, getting a giggle out of her.

"You have nothing to be sorry about, Cupcake, you did nothing wrong."

Looking at the girl sitting on his lap, the man is reminded why he had named the girl Soleil to begin with. As the heartwarming smile was once again worn on her face, a smile the man did anything to protect, a smile that shone bright enough to rekindle something within that wasn't ready to resurface, the man clears his throat and looks around the room. Aside from himself, everything else reminded him of a better place, a time when this zombie mess hadn't even existed.

"Hm…" the man thought for a moment, Soleil looking up at him in anticipation. "Cupcake…"

"Yes, Papa?"

"How about I tell you a story?" the man suggested, influenced mainly by the sense of nostalgia that would occasionally take over him.

"What kind of story is it, Papa?"

"It's an old story, about a far away land…" Saying this, the man's eyes seemed distant, seeking some kind of invisible force.

"Will it be a happy story?"

The man was silent, his jaw tensing as he tried to hold back rising emotions. In the last 10 years, this would be the first time he would retell the tale that haunts him, the life he once had, loss and missed. A sense of doubt held him, telling him this wasn't the best time to be reminiscing, or even sharing something like this to a mere child he's kept sheltered since their first meeting. But, he felt he had to face the demons that mocked him...And if anything, find the thing he lost before he had met Soleil.

Amidst his own thoughts, the man didn't even realize that a single tear had escaped him, slowly making its way down his cheek before Soleil wiped it away. Again, the girl was worried, and the man could see it. The man took a deep breath, trying to keep himself together as he inhaled like he was trying to swallow the feelings seeping out of him.

"Papa, if it hurts-"

"Don't worry about it, Cupcake, I have you," said the man as he brought the girl closer to him. "And besides, I have to make it up to you for not being the best Papa…"

"You are the best Papa, Papa…"

"Thank you…" another chuckle is produced. "Now, where do I begin…"

… _ **..**_

 **Alright, this is the point where I start begging for your OC's. But, before I start falling on my knees and pleading for your cooperation, you'll need to know what to build your character around. So, let me give you the setting real quick:**

 **Setting - This story will be taking place in the state of Alaska, more specifically, Kodiak, Alaska. Now, Kodiak is a rather small island where information gets around like rumors in a high school, and your only form of a mall is WalMart and McDonald's is your go-to when you're too lazy to cook dinner. Being in the cold climate of Alaska, you'll be expecting a lot of rain and grey clouds, yet, surprisingly no snow, unexpected for an Alaskan City. The setting will begin in winter, pre-week to Christmas, about a two week span before the Beginning of the End. There is only one public high school on this island, Kodiak High School, so most characters will being going there unless you go the Home School route. The school system will be running off a 7 period schedule with the occasion advisory day, so character will have many chances to interact and have screen time. (I don't want to blather on, so if you have any question on the setting, please don't be afraid to ask)**

 **So, here's what you've been waiting for (PLEASE NOTE: Unless you're applying as a guest reviewer, I will NOT BE ACCEPTING any forms that are IN THE REVIEW count. Reviews are reserved for the reader's thoughts or critiques, as such, I would like to keep it that way if possible):**

 **(Over the Edge) OC Form**

 **~IDENTITY~**

 **Name: (Simply First and Last)**

 **Nickname: (Does your character have a nickname or something else they preferably go by instead of their real name?)**

 **Gender: (You could be a Genderterrorist and I wouldn't judge)**

 **Age: (Ranging from 15-18)**

 **Ethnicity: (No aliens, Whalekin or the like please, we're normal people with normal races in this story)**

 **Class: (You're either a Freshman, Sophomore, Junior or Senior)**

 **Sexuality: (Angel don't judge)**

 **~APPEARANCE~**

 **Height: (I don't know about you, but I want to know whether or not your character's going to be stuck 5'3 forever like me)**

 **Weight: (I have access to a BMI chart...I don't how that's relevant, but I feel like it should be)**

 **Hair color/Hairstyle: (You could have green hair like C.C. or spiky hair like Cloud Strife, and I'll still have the everyone else treat it like it's normal)**

 **Eye Color: (I don't need to comment on this, do I?)**

 **Body Type: (I will require at least a sentence here as I want something to work off instead of running my narratives around "Slim")**

 **Skin tone: (I don't mean to segregate the purple polka-doted people, but normal skin tones please)**

 **Extra Bodily Features: (Any scars? Does your character have a terrible complexion? Perhaps, a perma-zit? Maybe they're a human canvas for them tats...that sounded weird...)**

 **Casual Clothes: (These are going to be the clothes that your character is going to be more renown for, their signature stuff, ya know.)**

 **-Cold Wear: (What would your character wear in the cold climate of Alaska?)**

 **-Secondary Opt.: (This is optional, so just put N/A if you don't want to put time into expanding your wardrobe)**

 **Accessories and Item: (Your character carrying around bling? Perhaps a bag/purse? Oh, maybe horseshoes for earrings!)**

 **Makeup: (...Guys can wear makeup too, ya know...just saying…)**

 **~BACKGROUND~**

 **History: (The more detailed, the more likely you'll get my attention! I want the gritty details! I want to be able to feel like I just lived this character's life by the way you describe it! SCRATCH THAT! Convince me that I am your character! That's how detailed I want you to get with me! Exaggerated? Yes, but I want you to get invested in your creation. If you put a lack of effort into it, I'll invest the same amount of effort when reviewing your application)**

 **Family: (Name, age, role, a brief description of them)**

 **~PERSONAL~**

 **Personality: (You know what I said up in "History", apply a similar statement to that here...EFFORT!)**

 **Likes:**

 **Dislikes:**

 **Hobbies:**

 **Occupation(s):**

 **Strengths:**

 **Weaknesses:**

 **Fears:**

 **Thoughts on Kodiak: (Trust me, it's okay to have your character hate living on a large rock in the middle of the ocean with nothing but Alaskan Fishing making it special…I mean you can even apply how much your character hates the school because of how messy its system is)**

 **Thoughts on Themselves: (Everyone has those times of doubt...unless your egotistical or have a high self-esteem)**

 **~COMBAT~**

 **School Weapon: (As much as I like creativity, keep the school weapon reasonable and such, we are not going to find a rocket launcher in the drama room because the Drama Club was working on a military skit)**

 **Primary Weapon: (One weapon, mate, one weapon out the vast amount in the world. This weapon will be your character's bestie...Aside from their real bestie...Also, Kodiak only has one police station and military base that is accessible to the community...the other military bases need specific key cards…)**

 **Secondary Weapon(s): (Maximum of two, and yes, dual wielding does count as two weapons. Keep in mind, these are secondary weapons, weapons that the character uses only when their Primary weapon is unusable or inaccessible. Mind, that your character has to be able to carrying this/these weapon along with their primary weapon...so, Weight Capacity, I guess)**

 **~OTHER~**

 **(You may use this section as you like to fill me in on thing you feel I must know, such as accents or the like. If you feel like you have no use for this section, just put N/A or cut it out of your application.**

 **Welp, that's the application right there. Please remember that your character has to be a normal teenager, I will NOT be accepting super soldiers or the like. They can accel at something, but they can't be Gary Stu/Mary Sue of the lot...I hope I don't have to remind people of that…**

 **Anyhow, Good luck with your creations and I'm excited for what you're able to provide me with.**

 **Ta-ta for now! ~ Angel Tenim**


End file.
